The Bible says much about our surroundings in the natural world. It tells us about the rain on Mt. Carmel, the river Jordan, Mt. Sinai, and so on. When nature is observed, we see the nature of people reflected in it.
Some people are like sand or dust, they are blown about by every wind that comes along (cp. Eph. 4:14). They are controlled by the elements around them instead of the word of God. These folks are never steadfast in their service to God in worship, Bible study, prayer, or teaching. Likewise, they are often untaught and unstable souls who twist the scripture to the own destruction, always learning and never able to come to a knowledge of the truth (2 Pet. 3:16; 2 Tim. 3:7).
Other people are like a river, ever flowing — in the path of least resistance! They base their decisions upon what appears to be easiest (cp. Matt. 7:13-14). Often, they avoid controversy at all cost because they desire to please men (Jn. 12:42-43; Gal. 1:10). Sometimes, when they come into contact with the compacted dust (dirt), they wear away at it and carry it along in the current.
Some people are like the ocean, ever churning and stirring. These are those who have an unstable life filled with anxieties about material matters (Matt. 6:25-34). They worry about the house payment, car loan, the economy, and their job. Therefore, they go up and down like the stock market. They give heed to fashions and the favor of men. Concerns in their life drown and choke their spiritual man (Matt. 13:22).
Finally, some people are like a mountain, solid, stable, enduring. Regardless of the conditions around them, they remain steadfast. Their character is reflected in the story of the wise man who built his house upon the rock. When the rain descends, the floods come, and the winds blow and beat on them, they do not fall (Matt. 7:24-25). They heed the exhortation which says, “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong” (1 Cor. 16:13).
Do you see yourself in one of these or some other part of nature? Is it a favorable comparison?
Steven F. Deaton